Spotless
With her mom struggling to make ends meet, teenage Ruby doesn’t want to bother her when her period comes around. So she’s forced to find a solution for a basic need all by herself.
Age Range: 18
Secondary
A daughter grapples with her mother’s anger and how it made her who she is today.
Kissy And The Shark
Kissy has enough on her mind worrying about her mother and grandmother, but her caring instinct takes hold when she finds and tries to rescue a small stranded shark washed up on a littered LA beach.
With a Wool Ball
A ball of wool, a catchy song, and beautiful felted stop motion tell this boldly-colored tale of a girl who weaves ponchos and steeps hot maté to keep her friends toasty in the hills of Argentina.
The Luggage Room
A devoted abuelita dreams of the day she can reunite with her grandchildren, cramming her suitcase with mountains of gifts and heaps of precious memories.
The Dance
Andrés has a big, big toe problem: his right shoe has a huge hole in it. Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue, but the school dance is tomorrow and he’s got his crush Mariana to impress!
Gugu naGogo
When a lunar eclipse stops her late-night letter exchanges, 12-year-old astronomer Gugu must find a way to reconnect with her beloved Gogo (grandmother) who lives far away in Zimbabwe.
Lonely Castle in the Mirror
Kokoro has had enough of the buzzing bells, shouting teachers, noisy hallways, and mean classmates at her middle school when she decides to just stay home. Bored and trapped, she finds a portal in her bedroom mirror that whisks her away to an enormous castle, where she’s greeted by the mysterious and gruff Wolf Queen—a wolf in girls’ clothing or the other way around, she’s not sure. Along with six other smart but world-weary students, she must follow all of the Queen’s rules, including a strict curfew. They are all in search of a magic key, hidden somewhere in the castle, that will grant whoever finds it any wish they want. As they conspire over strategy and share their stories, bonding in a place that’s free of fear and judgment and learning when to make (and sometimes break) their own rules in the name of friendship. Maybe the adults will begin to understand that it’s the circumstances, and not the kids, that need to change in this meaningful anime adapted from Tsujimura Mizuki’s popular YA novel.
Phonos
Chloe has bottled up her feelings along with the sounds that remind her of her beloved grandfather until a songbird shows her the way to maintain the spirit of his beautiful music.
Things that Disappear
An elderly woman honors the spirits of those past, and a funeral for a dead cat unbeknownst to most channels karma across spirits sung and unsung.
The Old Young Crow
A magical sketchbook toggles between time and place in this fantastical tale of an Iranian boy, a big black crow, a long-lost son, and a loving mother who cross spiritual paths at a Tokyo grave.
The Island of Us
Eat or be eaten, rise from the shadows or pluck out an eye: the rules of the island are always shifting and just out of reach in a beyond bizarre, exquisitely crafted stop motion vision of creation, destruction, and the cycle of life.
The Cave
After a young boy’s father dies, he turns to dark magic to curse all those who wrong him.
Rachel
Animator Rachel Reid exudes joy as she talks about being an animator, encouraging others to follow in her footsteps.
Joyce’s Neighborhood
Mr Roger’s Neighborhood’s got nothing on Joyce’s house, a castle to all the local kids that’s nothing but sweetness and light.
Moominvalley
Moominfriends! Tove Jansson’s delightful universe is back, premiering exclusively at NYICFF with all the Moominventures you could ever wish for in three all new episodes. First, when Moomintroll and Sniff volunteer to walk Toffle home through the woods, Toffle tells tall tales to prolong their journey, which gets them into trouble when Groke arrives in Toffle’s Tall Tales. Mrs. Fillyjonk gets the feeling she’s “not long for this world,” so Moominpappa decides to throw her a party will never forget in Mrs. Fillyjonk’s Last Hurrah. Finally, a mystery in Snufkin and the Fairground: When Snufkin advises silence-loving Hemulen to leave his noisy job at the fairground, he’s left to run the rides on his own.
Mall Stories: Attila the Grilla
Any way you slice and dice this charming animated mockumentary, the girl-grill-boss and endearing staff of the food court eatery Atilla the Grilla will win your hearts—and stomachs.
La Calesita
A beloved Argentinian merry-go-round operator brings joy to the neighborhood families in this warm and vivid story of what comes around, goes around…
The Record
A magical vinyl record reads minds and plays lost memories, uncovering one man’s story of how he got separated from his mother on the Swiss border during World War II.
More than Hair
Sitting for the first time in a barbershop, a young black boy discovers power of black hair.
Hoop Dreams
All that glitters is mama’s magic, and Savannah just needs to grab a little of that to get past her fears and soar through hoops in poetic style.
Fur
A girl attempts to understand and comfort her sister after gray fur covers her body, making her feel miles away even as they sit right next to each other.
First Down
America’s first all-girls tackle football league brings together a band of misfits and outcasts who compete for the title while tackling struggles on and off the field.
El Moño
After her favorite sock goes missing, Andrea learns some family magic that helps her find lost objects in the most unexpected ways. She’ll soon discover that toys and coins aren’t the only things that can get lost.
Desert Lights
In the drought-plagued Atacama desert, friends Antay, Inti, and Ayelén hustle to build a soccer dream team as the ranks dwindle in their struggling town.
Dalgona
Can 10 year-old Yeon-ah summon the ghost of her dad to craft the sweetest of Korean treats, Dalgona, for her mom’s birthday?
Moominvalley
Moominfriends! Tove Jansson’s delightful universe is back, premiering exclusively at NYICFF with all the Moominventures you could ever wish for in three all new episodes. First, when Moomintroll and Sniff volunteer to walk Toffle home through the woods, Toffle tells tall tales to prolong their journey, which gets them into trouble when Groke arrives in Toffle’s Tall Tales. Mrs. Fillyjonk gets the feeling she’s “not long for this world,” so Moominpappa decides to throw her a party will never forget in Mrs. Fillyjonk’s Last Hurrah. Finally, a mystery in Snufkin and the Fairground: When Snufkin advises silence-loving Hemulen to leave his noisy job at the fairground, he’s left to run the rides on his own.
Charlie and the Hunt
Charlie is a CODA (Child of Deaf Adult) with a wonderful mom and an adorable dog. When her mom’s bracelet goes missing, she sets off into the wild with her homemade map, where she uncovers breathtaking landscapes and priceless treasure.
Call Me Anytime, I’m Not Leaving the House
Two Ukrainian families, one in Brooklyn, the other in Odessa, seek dignity and safety in this true-to-life tale of conflict, crisis, and re-connection.
Baby
First-born Nina feels like second in line for her father’s attention once her little sister comes around. Who’s the real baby in this dance of love, jealousy, mistakes, forgiveness, when everyone could use a little growing up?